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The Commentary

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International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Dec 29, 1887

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 13, No. 50.

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The Commentary.

CREATION.

LESSON 1.—SABBATH, JANUARY 7.

1. WHAT did God do in the beginning? "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth." Gen. 1:1.
2. By what means was this accomplished? "By the word of the Lord were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth." "For he spake, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast." Ps. 33:6, 9.
3. Are we to understand from these words that the matter of the earth was not in existence before he spake? "Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear." Heb. 11:3.
4. Who was the active agent in creation? "God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds." Heb. 1:1, 2.
5. Is there anything that the Son did not make? "For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers; all things were created by him, and for him; and he is before all things, and by him all things consist." Col. 1:16, 17.
6. Since it was by the Son that the Father created all things, what is his rightful title? "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." "All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made." John 1:1, 3.
7. How has the Father addressed the Son? "But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever; a scepter of righteousness is the scepter of thy kingdom." "And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands." Heb. 1:8, 10.
8. Then how should he be regarded by all creatures? "And again, when he bringeth in the first-begotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him." Heb. 1:6.
9. In what condition was the earth when it was first spoken into existence? "And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters." Gen. 1:2.
10. After the creation of the substance of the earth, what was the first thing done? "And God said, Let there be light; and there was light." Verse 3.
11. What next? "And God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness." Verse 4.
12. What did God call the light and the darkness? "And God called the light day, and the darkness he called night. And the evening and the morning were the first day." Verse 5.
13. What do a period of darkness and a period of light together constitute? See verse 5.
14. Which always comes first in the formation of a day? The darkness. Can you explain why? See notes.
15. What was done on the second day? "And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters. And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament; and it was so. And God called the firmament heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day." Gen. 1:6-8.
16. How is this day's work referred to by Job? "He bindeth up the waters in his thick clouds; and the cloud is not rent under them." Job. 26:8.
17. What was done on the third day? "And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear; and it was so. And God called the dry land earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he seas; and God saw that it was good. And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth; and it was so. And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind; and God saw that it was good. And the evening and the morning were the third day." Gen. 1:9-13.
18. What was made upon the fourth day? "And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years." Verse 14.
19. What were these lights to govern? "And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night; he made the stars also." Verse 15.
20. Then what kind of days were these days of creation?
21. Does the sun make the day, or simply rule the day?
22. Tell what makes the day, and how there could be days before the sun was.